Flowmeter metering head



July 9, 1946. Q E cox 2,403,849

FLow METER'METERING HEAD Filed out. 29. 1945` I N VEN TOR.

yrrae/vfys Patented July 9, 1946 n claude E. Cox, Detroit, Mich. l Application Qctober 29, 1943, Serial No. 508,194 p y'll'his invention relates to an improved metering head or metering oat for allow meter.

In a flow meter of the character disclosed in my co-pending applications No.A 427,759, filed January 22, 1942, Patent 2,384,800, granted September 18, 1945 vand N0..502,168, filed September 13, 1943, Patent 2,389,957; granted November 27, 1945.,

I describedV an upright internally tapered' trans-v parent tube 'within which was-mounted a metering head adapted to be lifted by liquid flowed upwardly through the tube to measure the liquid' flow. .In the earlier filed application this metering head was shown as comprising a body having at its lower end` a radially projecting annular flange Aprovided with anl arcuate peripheral. surface andas having at 'its upperY end an apertured disk flange provided with aA circumferential indicating line adapted to be read against the lines of a calibration scale' disposed. along the length of the tube.

These :Elow meters are designed for very accurate measurement of flow andas shown in application No. 502,168, filed September 13, 1943, a bat- 3 Claims. (Cl. 73-209) 'whichsurfaces' may be varied to vary the position of the head within the tube under a predeter mined liquid f'low through the tube.

Other objects, advantages and meritorious features vof my improved metering head willA more fully appear ffrom the following specification, ap-

pended claimsand accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l isa side elevation partly brokenl away of a flow metering tube showing my improved metering head in position therein.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view through the'v metering tube taken on the line 2-2. v

Figures 3, 4 and 5'are side elevations of a rmetering head exhibiting my invention. i

kThe meteringhead is illustrated as having a spool-like configuration. lit has acylindricalaxial stem portion I0 provided with radially projectingannular flanges I2 at opposite ends. The two flanges are similar in shape. Each flange has a peripheral cylindrical face I4 adjacent to its upy per surface and a peripheralfrusto-conical face tery of communicating tubes may be arranged in series where measurement of relatively large flow is to be made. The interior surface in the tube or bore is formed with great accuracy but minute and even microscopic Variations from absolute accuracy will produce variations in reading.. One

method employed to adapt a specific metering v head to a specific tube was to vary the weight of the head to make it rise or fall under a given flow. Such correction, however, was not always suffi- I6 adjacent to its lower surface. An axial stud I8 projects from the upper surfaceof the head and is adapted to be engaged by va withdrawal device for withdrawal of the metering head from a tube within which the head is mounted.

` The cylindrical peripheral face I 4 might be termed the viscosity-responsive factor and thev frusto-concal face I6 might be termed the turbulence-determining factor. In other words, varying'the width of the cylindrical face will vary the sum total of the friction produced by the flow of cient to adapt the metering head to the tube in such a manner as to insure the desired response under maximum and minimum flow and also to insure the desired overlap in a series of communicating tubes.

It has been found that if a metering head is constructed as herein set forth that it is possible to readily adapt the metering head to any specific tube to obtain this desired result. n

The object, therefore, is to provide an improved metering head so shaped as to be particularly adapted for use in flow meter tubes.

Another object is to provide an improved metering head so shaped as to expose a surface to the flow of liquid through the tube which surface may be readily altered to adapt the head to occupy a determined position withinthe tube under a, determined flow of fluid through the tube and over such surface.

Another object is to provide an improved metering head so'shaped as to expose one or more surfaces to the flow of liquid through the tube,

liquid over suchface. Increase in the width of such cylindrical face will increase the friction of liquid flowing thereover and reduction in width of such cylindrical face will reduce such resistance. Variation in the angle of the frusto-conical .face will vary the turbulence resulting in the liquid as it flows over such frusto-conical face. Such turbulence may be increased or decreased by varying such angle.

It is possible, therefore, to adapt such a metering head to a flow meter tube notwithstanding variations in the interiorsurface of the tube which will affect the flow of liquid through the tube. A metering head having this particular arrangement of peripheral faces is, therefore, peculiarly fitted for use in flow metering tubes ,and is. readily adapted thereto. The two radial flanges which terminate in the cylindrical faces I4 are preferably spaced 'apartaxially a distance equal to or greater than a diameter which prevents wobbling of the float within the tube and resulting inaccuracy of measurements.

Through employing two similarly shaped flanges, one at each end of the stem, the flow effect resulting from Variations from absolute accuracy in the interior surface of the tube along its length, may be averaged out.

This metering head is adapted to be mounted within a flow meter tube 20 of the character illustrated and as described in my above mentioned co-pending Y applications for patent. A scale 22 .is shown as disposed along side of the tube. Such tube is interiorly taperedD and is pro'- vided with lands extending parallel to the axis of its bore. These lands constitute radially spaced linear segments of a cylinder. These lands guide the rise and fall of the metering head Within the tube and maintain it on an axial path of movement. The positionof the head along 4 variation must be carried out keeping in mind the result desired to be accomplished.

What I claim is:

1. A fluid flow meter metering head comprising an axial stem having similar radially projecting annular iianges of equal diameter at opposite ends adapted to form with the continuously tapered Wall of a flow meter tube fluid passages varying in area throughouty the length of the tube,ls`aid flanges being spaced apart axially on` the stem a distancev greater than a diameter, the periphery of each flange being defined adjacent to its top surface by fa cylindrical peripheral face andV being defined adjacent to its bottom surface by a peripheral frusto-conical face eX- tending from the bottom surface upwardly and y ,outwardly to the peripheral face, said cylindrical the length of the bore is determined bythe flow of liquid through the bore.

In Figures 3, 4 and 5 I have shown flow metering heads embodyingmy invention whereinfthe peripheral faces of the annular end flanges in the several figures have been shaped or formed to vary the response of the head to a given flow of a given liquid through thetube. In Figure 3 peripheral' cylindrical faces I 4 are of reduced width as compared with the peripheral cylindrical faces I4 of Figure 4 and such faces in Figure 4 are of reduced width `as compared with the corresponding faces of `Figure 5. The friction offered by such f-aces to the -flow of a liquid of given viscosity thereover would therefore increase as the width increases. The cylindrical faces I4 of Figure 3 would therefore permit a maximum flow of liquid of a given viscosity at a determined position within the tube as compared with the Vcylindrical faces of the structures-shown in Figures 4 and 5. Put in another way, the structure of Figure 3 under a given rate of ow of a given liquid would stand at a lower level within the tube than the structures of Figures 4 and 5.

It will be noted that the frusto-conical faces I6 of the structure of Figure 3 depart further from the horizontal than the frusto-conical faces of the structures of Figures 4 and 5 and would tend to produce less turbulence in a given flow A of a given liquid through the tube thereover. It will be apparent that the frusto-conical face I6 might approach the horizontal to the point Where the turbulence would be increased and that its peripheral faces "adapted to form slidable contact with lands spaced apart circumferentially within the tube and extending parallel to the axis of the tube. ni l 3 2. In combination with a iiowvmeter tube having a continuously tapered inner Wall provided with circumferentially spaced lands Yextending parallel to the' axis of the tube, a metering head comprising an axial portion provided with axially spaced equal diameter annular portions each having 'a periphery defined by acylindrical peripheral face and a peripheral frusto-conical face, each cylindrical peripheral Aface having ,slidable contact vwithsaid lands and Vforming with the tapered inner wall of the tube a fluid passage varying in area throughoutthe length of `said wall.

3. In combination with a ow meter tube having a continuously tapered inner Wall defininga fluid passage bore, said tubeprovided interiorly with circumferentifally spaced apart guides v,extending parallel to the axis of the bore, a metering head having an axial portion provided with equal diameter axially spaced apart' annular flanges each having a periphery definedby a lcylindrical peripheral face and a peripheral frustrecom'cal face, said cylindrical peripheral faces formingrslidable Contact with saidgguides and dening with the ,tapered inner Wall ofthe bore a flow passageway about the head which passageway varies in area throughout the length of said bore. Y.

CLAUDEE. COX. 

